Saco's skyline altered as historic elevator comes down

What took a few years to build, and has stood near the train tracks in Saco since the 1940's, took seconds to knock-down, once it was finally tipped.

About 70-or-so onlookers came out in Saco on Friday afternoon to see one of the tallest structures in town – shooting nearly 110-feet into the Saco skyline – toppled due to concerns that the old grain elevator was no longer structurally sound, according to Roberta Christopherson, Manager of Saco Dehy who are the current owners of the building.

Christopherson said that once the metal is removed from the ruble, the non-painted wood will be taken to a space leased by Saco Dehy and burned in a pit. From there, the ashes will be hauled to Glasgow and the pit will be filled back in.

Howard Pippen, a bit of a historian in Saco and who spent many hours in the gain elevator, said he believes the structure was originally built in the late 1940's and in the mid-1950's a big leg was added, along with new tin, making the building taller. Originally, the building was owned and operated by Grain Terminal Association (GTA) and has changed ownership a few times since it was built (Saco Dehy purchasing the structure in the late 1960's.)

Pippen said that the building has become a mouse and pigeon haven over time and the last time it was full of grain was in about 1998. Pippen added that the grain elevator is the third structure to be torn down near the train tracks in recent years and one more building will soon see its destruction.

"You hate to see a landmark destroyed, but you would have never seen (the grain elevator) run again," Pippen said.

Lifetime Saco resident Richard Barnard, on-hand to watch the building be toppled, said it is a good thing the building came down.

"It is gradually leaning and someday it is liable to land on the tracks," he said.

Spoklie's Border Crane Oilfield Service, out of Plentywood, was tasked with pulling the building down and spent all day Thursday prepping the building for destruction. At around 1 p.m. on Friday, Saco Volunteer Fire Department Engine #3 was manned by two firefighters ready to spray down the dust plume that would surely follow the building falling.

The Spoklie crew wrapped two large cables around the top portion of the building and with a Cat 320D FM at the west to give the building a push while another piece of heavy machinery at the east – with the cables attached -- would pull the building down. As soon as the cables started to pull, one of the two snapped and delayed the process for nearly 90-minutes. None of the on-lookers left and waited. With the cables rejiggered, the push pull method worked like a charm and the building came down in seconds.